By JOHN DALY
Music has always been intertwined with technology, helping artists create new genres and imaginative arrangements for their songs. Now, aspiring musicians have access to various sites and digital tools that can further improve their sound. This has made for stiff competition on several online music platforms, so you will need a way to stand out and be heard from the crowd.
There are two categories of digital tools that can boost your music to the top of the charts: one to help you manage music and another to help you market it. Quite a number are available, which can seem overwhelming to both beginners and veterans, so we’ve compiled a list for you to choose from.
What You Need: Digital Tools and Platforms
Your music can sound great, but it will take more than that to elevate your career. It needs to be promoted so that your audience will try to listen to your music in the first place. The key to this is to place your music right where your prospective listeners look for their next jam.
Our list tackles two important aspects of music promotion. Digital tools can add that extra touch to your music channel by helping you examine your performance and maximize your potential. On the other hand, digital platforms are where the audience is, and they bring together other musicians with whom you can share ideas with.
Top 8 Online Tools for Musicians
1. Spotify for Artists
Spotify has become one of the most well-known music platforms. Here, you can make your Spotify profile and monitor data whenever your song is added to a user’s playlist. You can also find out the number of listeners and how often they stream your music. Spotify also has an editorial team, and with a good review from them, your music can get included in their curated playlists.
2. Soundcharts
To assess which of your music is faring better, you need to gather enough data on them so that you know where to focus on any improvements. Soundchart can help you in planning your marketing strategy by providing you with reports on various elements. This includes how well you do in social media, playlist exposure, your rank in other digital charts such as Shazam or Youtube, and radio airplay as well.
3. Fresh Sheet Music
At some point, when you run out of ideas, it can be beneficial to try playing others’ music to give you a breather from your current project. With freshsheetmusic.com, you can download different music sheets ranging from classical to today’s hits. Beginners who are starting out playing instruments can also use this resource to get more of a challenge with other songs not seen in their usual lessons.
4. Facebook Tools
Facebook has grown to become a premier tool for marketers, and as a musician, you can also use it to promote your music. You can utilize the Ads Manager and Facebook bots to engage with your audience more easily. Marketing campaigns are also made more personal since you can see every reaction and comment on your content, making for a stronger connection with your fans.
5. ReverbNation
If you need some ideas or need the opinion of a fellow musician, ReverbNation is where you can find them. Not only does it have the largest online community for professionals in music, but it also has a collection of useful tools such as email newsletters, targeted ads, crowd reviews, and customizable widgets.
6. Hubspot
You may not want to deal with so many sites or apps, and it can get confusing how to keep track of all the comments from your listeners. What you need is Hubspot, a CRM or customer relationship management tool. Here, you can centralize the management of your social media posts and emails, as well as see all the metrics associated with them.
7. Show.co
Show.co is a music-centered marketing tool that’s integrated with platforms such as Spotify and YouTube, to name a few. They come with special features like Spotify pre-save, which lets select listeners save your music on the platform before the actual release. This gives your numbers a rise even before your music can be streamed by the general public.
As for YouTube Premiere, you can add interesting debut web pages on your videos to make an impression and attract more audience. In addition, your music can also be placed as banner ads on other popular streaming sites.
8. Canva
An eye-catching poster is vital for any musician to promote live shows or even online events. Even if you have no experience in photo editing, Canva makes everything more user-friendly while still making the final product look like a professional’s work.
You won’t need to spend so much time learning how to crop, layer, or add elements to your poster. Canva provides many free tools within the app and website, and you can also use their free templates. They include formats for YouTube banners, Facebook posts, and for Instagram stories.
Top Online Platforms for Music
1. YouTube
There’s no surprise that one of the oldest platforms remains at the top. YouTube is the place to stream videos, and while your music is more aural-inclined, an intricate visual, whether animated or not, can help attract curious streamers. Moreover, music videos are still the most viewed category of videos on YouTube, so you can be sure that making an account on the site won’t go to waste.
2. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
You may be wondering why this trio of social media sites is considered as a platform for musicians. The reason is that they’re so saturated that they still attract a higher rate of music-sharing activity. Music is a popular topic among its users, and musician influencers can gain a wide reach by creating a home for their brand on these platforms. Take care not to use the same marketing strategies for all three since each have their own unique features which require different types of promotions.
If you want to make it big as a musician, you have to keep with the times and take an active role in finding your audience. What’s important about these tools is that they help you navigate the waters so that you can discover where your niche is. Music is as varied as its audience, so don’t think that anyone is fine as long as they click on your profile. What matters is to establish your music reputation, which will work in your favor in the future.